Chapter 43, Noble steeds

As the sun rose Ashe woke her entourage and told them all to pack up and be at the village gate in a few minutes. Nobody said anything, how could they? They were either going to go home to Rabanastre and fight a lost cause, or to Bur-Omisace to make an ally of their conquerors. Vaan's eyes flicked from person to person, were they having second thoughts? Maybe. Was he having second thoughts? Never.

"She needs me." He muttered to himself. "I am her reminder, of the Dalmasca she wants to protect." He tried to buckle his new sword into his sheath but it was very long and cumbersome.

"You put that kind of sword over your back."

Vaan looked round to see Basch fitting the straps for him. "You know this type of sword?"

"I should," Basch smiled fondly threading the leather. "It' s sword of my homeland."

"I thought you were Dalmascan."

Basch brought his face down very close to Vaan's. "Do I look Dalmascan?"

Vaan had to admit he did not. His skin was too pale, his jaw too well defined and the only blond hair that ever came from Dalmascan descent was sandy as the desert's of their land. His hair was an auburn burning blond, like horded gold. "How did you get into the military if you're foreign?" Vaan asked.

Basch laughed. "There was someone I knew who had the same opinion."

"I will accompany you to Bur-Omisace." Ashe told Larsa at the gate.

The boy noticeably relaxed. "I had hoped you would say as much. I am glad..."

"My heart is not set." Ashe cut across. "I still have questions."

"Not a problem." Larsa said cheerily. "We'll have plenty of time along the way."

"I have a few questions I need you to answer now or I will not go." She snapped. "What makes you think the Rozarrians will stop simply because they have no help from the resistance?"

"I'd hoped you would ask that." The boy said quietly. "There is someone I'd like you to meet on Bur-Omisace."

"Who?"

"An enemy, and an ally as well." He said mysteriously. "I think it's better if you wait and see." With that he strode off through the gates.

Vaan walked up to Ashe quietly. "That Larsa likes his secrets." He muttered.

She cuffed him over the head. "He means no ill by it."

"Yeah, last time we followed him we ended up cornered by head hunters."

"You must admit though for Vayne's brother, he turned out nicely."

Vaan nodded. "He's not bad, at least for an imperial."

"Vaan! Wait for me." Penelo shouted as she ran through the gates after Vaan and Ashe, Fran shook her head and followed her student.

Supinelu walked up to Basch. "Where are you to go then?" He sighed.

Basch stared at the horizon. "Holy mount Bur-Omisace stands at the northern end of the Jagd Ramooda, once there we need not fear pursuit by airship."

"Don't get your hopes up." Balthier drawled. "You remember the leviathan sailed straight into the Jagd Yensa and right up to Raithwall's tomb to pick us up."

"If you're going through Paramina, I'd better give you something." Supinelu said and strode off.

"How are the warships doing this?" Basch muttered.

Balthier looked up into the sky. "You don't know how an airship works? Really, a captain as well."

"You're the sky pirate, you tell me." Basch growled.

"Fine." Balthier sighed. "Airships for beginners and military lunk heads. What keeps an airship in the air is a piece of magicite about the size of your fist. A bed of Tythar crystals draws out the mist within the stone which is then projected down into the ground via a glossair ring or in your terms, that spinny thing on the side."

"I see." Lied Basch.

"This causes said glossair ring to become several hundred times lighter than air, so it floats up taking the airship with it. When the ship flies into a Jagd, the two magickal forces meet. When two forces meet the stronger one wins and that little skystone cannot compete with whatever has created the Jagd so suddenly the ship is exactly as heavy as it should be and falls." He took a deep breath. "But now all that has changed, skystone that works even in Jagd. You know nethicite is behind it, little wonder their so keen on the stuff."

He turned to go but Basch grabbed his shoulder. "What is it you're after Balthier?"

The pirate's shoulder tensed in his grip. "I have my compensation." He said a little too quickly, flashing Ashe's ring.

"You said so yourself, that was temporary. What are you really after?"

"Worried I'm out to steal the nethicite eh?" Balthier grinned.

"The thought had crossed my mind."

"Can't say I'm unaccustomed to people doubting my intentions, I know you won't trust anyone but yourself and the princess." Basch increased pressure and Balthier gasped. "Let me ask you something, in all these little adventures we've had together has it ever been the case when I've done anything to suggest betrayal? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Can you shoulder this whole war on your shoulders?"

A moment of silence as Supinelu's voice echoed in Basch's memory then he released him. "My apologies." He said shamefully. "But I needed to know where you stand."

"Let me put your mind at ease, nothing could be further from my mind than stealing the nethicite." Balthier said walking off and rubbing his aching shoulders "Shall I swear by your sword or some such?"

The closest Vaan had ever come to chocobos was watching them in their pen before the keeper moogle could shoo him away. The Dalmascan chocobo cavalry was known far and wide and Vaan had always aspired to ride one, naturally when he was told they would be crossing back over the plains on the back of a chocobos he was very excited. Until he came face to face with them.

"Woah... They're um... big!" He stuttered at the sight of his mount.

Basch had already strapped his luggage to his bird. "Count on it, only the longest of spears can reach you up there." He whistled and the chocobo obediently crouched to an easy mounting height, with practiced ease he hoisted himself into the saddle.

"How do you do that?" Vaan whined.

Basch clicked his tongue and the chocobo stood up. "Years of practice."

Vaan looked back at his own bird, it was giving him a steely eyed look that said "I really don't like you."

"Don't make eye contact if you've never ridden her before." Fran called from the top of her mount. "It's a challenge to her authority."

He looked back into the eyes of his mount which promptly turned his back on him.

"Here Vaan." Penelo sighed giving him a leg up into the saddle. Vaan's landing was rather messy and he pulled out a few feathers, the chocobo gave an indignant squawk and trotted a few feet forward almost knocking over Penelo.

"How long will it take us to reach Bur-Omisace?" Ashe asked as she rode up on her mount.

"Larsa smiled. "We have to go the long way round I'm afraid. Crossing back over the plains at top speed should take us about a week. Then we need to circle round the mountain range until we reach Bur-Omisace."

"Wait a minute." Penelo exclaimed, staring at a map. "Can't we just cut through this forest here and we'd be there in half the time."

Silence fell over the entire group. "We will not go that way." Fran said softly.

"But why not? It's only a forest, if we just..."

"No force, be it spiritual or earthly will ever make me set foot within those trees again." Fran hissed.

"And if she stays, I stay." Balthier added. "Are you willing to sacrifice two members of your entourage for a short cut?"

"Definitely not." Ashe snapped. "We go the long way. Larsa, how long?"

The boy shrugged. "All together, around two to three weeks."

Ashe's brow furrowed, the whole world could be at war by then. It was a chance they had to take.

"To Bur-Omisace." She said, with rather more drama than was needed.